Oops! I forgot the date in the title. some mod please...

Fixed. Fishdoll wants a cookie.

Er. Acid, this one's at the San Siro.

Fixed. Fishdoll wants a cookie.

@ acid
Are you alright?

Here's a cookie for the Fishdoll!

Gazzetta's early predicted lineup:

Abbiati
Zambrotta Bonera Maldini Jankulovski
Gattuso Ambrosini Seedorf
Kaka Ronaldinho
Borriello

Personally i'd rather see Pato start, he scored against Napoli last time @ the San Siro too

I definetely think we should rest Seedorf in favor of 2 strikers /probably Pato and Borriello/ + Kaka and Ronaldinho. We simply need to attack. Napoli plays 3-5-2, meaning our counterattack will be our main weapon. Seedorf is half-injured and last night, he was really slow and lacked creativity. Not that different than R80's performance against Atalanta.

Napoli are without a doubt the best team in Italy right now. We all know it's temporarily, but it's a damn fact. It will be our hardest game so far. After beating Atalanta with luck and Siena with... experience, it will take something more to win the good old derby this Sunday.

The thing is, Seedorf is a Big Game Player. He often looks dreadful against the provincial teams and then looks absolutely amazing against Juve/cugini/MU/etc. I wouldn't necessarily drop him from the lineup because he was patchy against Siena.

As for Napoli, they really are playing very enjoyable football right now. They deserve to be at the top along with Udinese - who I think are also playing very enjoyable football.

(I remember people saying the same thing before the derby this year.)

People were afraid that the cugini's main striker (the one who looks rather like a camel) was going to embarrass Maldini. Turned out it was the other way around.

I'm not sure what the best CB pairing would be for this one. I really wish Nesta were match-fit and healthy!

You're going to call down the wrath of dst with that statement, zd!

Bonera and Maldini are our best partnership for this game, Maldini's s'posed lack of pace is often made up for by his reading of the game and no matter who plays pace is always gonna be a problem thats why you make sure abbiati stands a metre or two further up to act a s a sweeper/keeper.

I agree.

But there could come a moment when things don't work like that. I'm worried about those lapses, like when Abbiati can't react fast enough to cover Maldini when a striker gets past him...

In every game lapses and mistakes happen thats what win's you or loses you matches usually the team that makes the least mistakes wins. i share your anxiety and just hope that the players are up to the task and the occasion

The thing is, Seedorf is a Big Game Player. He often looks dreadful against the provincial teams and then looks absolutely amazing against Juve/cugini/MU/etc. I wouldn't necessarily drop him from the lineup because he was patchy against Siena.

As for Napoli, they really are playing very enjoyable football right now. They deserve to be at the top along with Udinese - who I think are also playing very enjoyable football.

Kaladze trained on the ball with Filippo Galli.

Usually, as a fanboy I have some idea of Carlo's intentions. But this instance... I should ask R7.

And yet, we're pretty well in the league...
Curiouser and curiouser...

Serie A Preview: Milan - Napoli

What: Italian Serie A-Matchday 10
Who: AC Milan (3rd Serie A, 19 pts.) vs. Napoli (1st Serie A, 20 pts.)
When: Sunday 2 November 20:30 (CET)
Where: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan


The match of the weekend, along with Juventus-Roma, takes place at San Siro as third placed Milan host joint-first Napoli.

Milan In Fantastic Form

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti had seemed on the brink of the sack after a dismal start to the season, when his side were defeated in both of their opening Serie A matches against Bologna and Genoa. This all followed a poor pre-season, and there were serious fears that it could be another troublesome campaign for the northerners.

However, Ancelotti has turned things around, and Milan are currently embarking on a superb run of results. The 2-1 home success over Siena on Wednesday, clinched by Pippo Inzaghi and Kaka (penalty), means that the Diavoli have now won six and drawn one of their last seven league fixtures. With three straight UEFA Cup victories in the bag also, Milan have actually drawn just one of their last 10 matches, winning the other nine.

Confidence is high around Milanello, and the club are up to third in the table, a point above their bitter city rivals Inter. Only Udinese and Sunday’s opponents Napoli stand between them and the Serie A summit.

The Rossoneri are now displaying a real depth in their squad, as they have swept past the opposition recently despite being handicapped by a whole host of injuries to the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Alessandro Nesta.

Napoli On The Rise Again

Napoli were only promoted back up to Serie A in 2007 following seven years in the wilderness, but their rapid rise has been incredible.

Last season the Partenopei finished eighth, and this time around things have gone even better as, after nine rounds, they are joint-top of the table alongside another surprise outfit Udinese.

Napoli have had an extremely tough run of fixtures as they have already played Roma, Udinese, Lazio and Genoa away from home, as well as Fiorentina and Juventus at the San Paolo. The fact they have lost just one of these games, at Genoa, defeating Fiorentina, Juventus and Lazio, is testament at just how much this Napoli team has come on.

Boasting prodigious youngsters such as Ezequeil Lavezzi, Marek Hamsik and Fabiano Santacroce, some sections of the media believe that a Champions League slot is not impossible.

Confidence is also high in the port city, as Napoli have won three on the bounce in the league, including a crushing 3-0 home victory over Reggina on Wednesday night when summer signing German Denis bagged a hat-trick.

All is up for grabs at San Siro on Sunday evening, as both teams know that a win could see them attain sole leadership of Serie A, providing Udinese slip up in their tricky clash against in-form Genoa.

FORM GUIDE

Milan
05/10 (Serie A): Cagliari 0-0 Milan
19/10 (Serie A): Milan 3-0 Sampdoria
23/10 (UEFA Cup): Heerenveen 1-3 Milan
26/10 (Serie A): Atalanta 0-1 Milan
29/10 (Serie A): Milan 2-1 Siena

Napoli
02/10 (UEFA Cup): Benfica 2-0 Napoli
05/10 (Serie A): Genoa 3-2 Napoli
18/10 (Serie A): Napoli 2-1 Juventus
26/10 (Serie A): Lazio 0-1 Napoli
29/10 (Serie A): Napoli 3-0 Reggina

TEAM NEWS

Milan

Milan still have injury problems going into this game as Pirlo, Nesta, Senderos, Kaladze, Flamini and Viudez are out. However, Ronaldinho should be fit enough to play. Maldini, Jankulovski, Ambrosini and Borriello should all return to the starting XI after being rested against Siena in midweek.

Probable starting XI: Abbiati, Zambrotta, Bonera, Maldini, Jankulovski, Ambrosini, Gattuso, Seedorf, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Borriello

Napoli

Napoli have almost a full bill of health, although Bogliacino is still sidelined. Blasi returns from suspension, while goalkeeper Iezzo should recover from injury, but apart from this coach Edy Reja is unlikely to make many changes to the team who were so impressive against Reggina. Argentine hitmen Denis and Lavezzi will lead the attack.

Probable starting XI: Iezzo, Santacroce, Cannavaro, Contini, Maggio, Blasi, Gargano, Hamsik, Vitale, Denis, Lavezzi

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Milan – Kaka: The Brazilian has been the matchwinner in Milan’s last two games. He scored a late goal in the 1-0 triumph at Atalanta last Sunday, while on Wednesday he stuck away a second half penalty to down Siena. If Napoli are to cause another sensation they will have to stop the soon-to-be-disposed European and World Footballer of the Year.

Napoli – Ezequiel Lavezzi: Never has a player been so loved in Naples since the time of the legendary Diego Armando Maradona. Lavezzi has been like a breath of fresh air, and his skilful and direct running up-front has been a nightmare for Serie A defences, particularly this season, when he has been unstoppable at times. El Pocho’s duel with the 40-year-old Maldini should be fascinating.

PREDICTION

This game has all the ingredients to be an absolute classic. There will surely be plenty of chances and goals, and I am predicting a four-goal thriller.

Milan 2-2 Napoli

And I suppose the part that is underlined is meant for me. I'm not going to change my opinion of them, they form the axis of evil trios (inter, juve and napoli). But I get your point, they're a good team (with history too), so fingers crossed we beat them a couple of days later.

Of course, I was joking. CL spot, hmmm? Only if it's at the expense of inter. Yeah, I can live with that.

It'll be at the expenses of Roma. I think Roma will finish the season in an embarrassing position. something like 6th, or worse. I can't see them recover in time to make the CL spot... one/fourth of the games are played and they're already 13 points behind Napoli/Udinese.

My head tells me Roma, but my heart says inter. At least, a man can dream! Ibra will leave them in a gippy if inter (somehow) fail to qualify. Boy, would that be fun or what, though I know it's nearly impossible to happen.